Hammerdown Monday: Plantronics BackBeat 903+

That's right Hands, Hammerdown Monday is back with BBOS. And I'm givin a product review to start my new run.

Now, as a pro driver, you see a lot of signs on the highway, warnin ya about using your cellphone while drivin. No texting, no handheld phones, and a new one, using your cellphone at all in a work zone. I make a phone call and everybody has a fit. But if I use my CB, nobody cares. Go figure.

Well, I do use headsets when I'm not on the Bears hit lists for using my BlackBerry at all. Wired headsets, Bluetooth headsets, Bluetooth visor speakers. I'm on a life long quest to find the perfect headset. I tell ya, I have found some duds, and I've found some winners. Then there are the ones in between.

The Plantronics BackBeat+ is one of them "in between" headsets, not so much because its a mediocre headset, but because of a design flaw. I'll get into that in a bit.

Hookin up to my Torch was easy, just like it should be. I had issues hookin up to my laptop though, which is something any stereo Bluetooth should have no problem doing as long as your lappy supports the AD2P protocol, which mine does. OK, not starting out as a winner, but I can accept that limitation.

On to the quality! The audio comin out was fantastic. I mean superb, like any Plantronics device I've used. Phone calls, music, talk shows, it all sounded great. Nobody could tell I was using a Bluetooth headset either, the mic quality and noise cancellation was great too. Not the best I've had, but definitely up there. It even has a sound passthrough feature for when you need to hear whats going on around ya. Nice, eh?

Now we come to the part I had some serious issues with. The ear pieces just didn't fit in my ears very well. They were too loose, and didn't fit securely in my ears. Bad Plantronics, no cookie for you. I've come to like the way the Plantronics Voyager Pro fit, comfortable and secure, but it did not make its way to the BackBeat+.

And I found out I'm not too crazy about the behind the head design, either. Now, I have long hair, I mean I donated over a foot and a half to Locks of Love less than a year ago, and its almost down to my belt already. Trying to get this headset on, and keep my hair out of the way, was an exercise in anger management skills. The darned thing was barely long enough to fit around my (ego inflated) head.

Now for the deal breaker. On day six, while trying to ajust the fit, for the umpteenth time that day, one of the earpeices broke. Just, snapped right off, leaving a couple of tiny plastic, but very important, bits layin in my hand. Zoinks! Like, hey Scoob, I think it needs a little super glue! It went right back to the store for a refund, no exchange please.

All in all, if Plantronics can revamp this headset, I would definitely take a second whack at it. But, until the fragile little bugger gets an upgrade, I'm gonna say it ain't worth it.

I give the Plantronics BackBeat+, 3 gears, cuz a product that breaks this easy, is not worth the MSRP of 99 smackers.

Hammerdown Monday is written every other Monday by ADPerdue, a genuine Long Haul Trucker with eight years on the road, recently certified as having over one million accident and ticket free miles, and a bona fide BlackBerry junkie. Apps are rated from one gear to ten gears, with one meaning "don't use this app even if they pay ya", and ten meaning "if you don't have this app yet, you need some serious head shrinkin".

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